Top 10 Creepiest Discoveries in History That You Don't Know About
#10: The Atacama Skeleton
In 2003, a skeleton was discovered in Chile’s Atacama Desert. This was no ordinary discovery. Measuring six inches long, the skeleton had an elongated skull, hardened bones, and an alien-like appearance. Dubbed “Ata,” this miniature mummy fueled speculation for years. Some believed it was proof of extraterrestrial life. But DNA analysis revealed it was, in fact, human. The skeleton belonged to a female fetus. The infant had multiple rare genetic mutations causing dwarfism and premature bone aging. Some of her bones appeared to belong to a person much older than her actual age. This contributed to Ata’s otherworldly appearance. What began as an eerie discovery subsequently evolved into a profound tragedy and mystery, making Ata a heartbreaking anomaly.
#9: The Tarim Mummies
The shifting dunes of China’s Taklamakan desert gave way to a baffling discovery at the beginning of the 20th century. Archaeologists discovered hundreds of naturally mummified bodies dating back thousands of years. With light-colored hair, elongated faces, and features reminiscent of Europeans, the mummies were clad in plaid wool and felted boots. They are now evidence of ancient migration and cultural exchanges along the early Silk Road. Genetic testing links them with ancient Indo-European peoples. Buried with tools, musical instruments, and even food, the Tarim mummies compel us to reconsider what we know about ancient global cultures and the extent of history that lies buried beneath the sands.
#8: The Devil’s Footprints
In February 1855, residents of Devon, England, awoke to the sight of cloven hoof prints in the snow, stretching nearly 100 miles. The hoof prints were uniformly spaced and walked through walls, over rooftops, and even across rivers. All the evidence seemed to point to a bipedal creature walking in a straight line for miles without deviation. It was as if physical laws didn’t bind the owner of the footprints. Some speculated that it might be a hopping mouse, an escaped kangaroo, or badgers. But none of the explanations stuck. Mass hysteria followed. Newspaper reports dubbed them the “Devil’s Footprints.” To this day, the lack of an answer makes the event one of England’s most chilling and unexplained winter mysteries.
#7: The Jivaro Shrunken Head Process
Imagine coming across a preserved human head, no larger than a fist, eyes sewn shut, and lips bound tight. Not a pleasant sight. That is precisely what early explorers encountered when they came across the tsantsas. Created by the Jivaroan peoples of the Amazon rainforest, these shrunken heads were made from the heads of enemies. The grisly post-battle ritual was to harness the spirit of the enemy and compel him to serve the shrinker. There was no chance for the victim’s soul to take revenge. Unfortunately, the discovery of the tsantsas fueled a black market, leading to forgery and desecration of the indigenous practice. Today, tsantsas are haunting relics of cultural expression and exploitation.
#6: The Smallpox Blanket Letters
1763 declares its case for the earliest documentation of biological warfare. During Pontiac’s War, British officers under the command of General Jeffrey Amherst devised a nefarious plan. Colonel Henry Bouquet would write to the general suggesting the distribution of smallpox-infected blankets to “inoculate” the indigenous populations. Even worse, Amherst would approve the plan, encouraging Bouquet to “try every method” to spread the disease. Discovered in the mid-20th century, the letters paint a chilling picture of the military strategy utilized by the British command. The outcome is debated, but the intent is clear. The letters are a dark stain on the history of Western expansion and a reminder that colonialism was not just about conquest but also calculated extermination.
#5: The Bog Bodies of Northern Europe
The wetlands of Northern Europe are home to some of the densest peat bogs and human remains. Peat harvesters and farmers first encountered bodies as far back as the 1600s. They assumed the bodies were those of recent murder victims, but these mysterious corpses had an ancient and terrifying heritage. Dating between 8000 BC and the Second World War, several presented chilling signs of violent deaths, including slit throats, garroting, and stabbings. Thanks to the unique environmental conditions of the bogs, the bodies did not undergo decomposition. Many were found with hair, skin, and even internal organs intact. Deeply unsettling, bog bodies are archaeological time capsules that have been preserved over millennia in Europe’s peat bogs and marshes.
#4: The Devil’s Bible
The Codex Gigas was not written but conjured. Legend speaks of a Christian monk who broke his sacred vows and was sentenced to be walled alive. Desperate to survive, he promised to glorify the monastery by writing a book encapsulating all human knowledge in one night. Nearing midnight, and doomed to fail, the monk turned not to God, but to the Devil. In exchange for his soul, the Devil completed the manuscript. As tribute, the monk included a haunting full-page portrait of Satan. While Satan’s authorship may be a fantasy, tests to recreate the work have shown that it would take twenty years of constant writing. Filled with exorcism rituals and magic formulae, the Devil’s Bible remains shrouded in mystery.
#3: Babylonian Demon Bowls
In 1888, a team of archaeologists unearthed several small, earthenware bowls in the city of Nippur, located in modern-day Iraq. At first sight, the archaeologists knew that these were no ordinary bowls. They were ancient home security systems, not from thieves or the like, but from demons. Buried upside-down beneath homes and foundations, the clay vessels were covered in tightly coiled Aramaic or Hebrew inscriptions. These were incantations intended to trap or repel demons, curses, and other malevolent forces. Some bowls featured crude sketches of bound demons, and others even listed their names. Found all over ruins in Iraq and Iran, the Babylonian demon bowls reflect a fascinating and unsettling blend of religion, folk magic, and supernatural paranoia.
#2: The Facial Reconstruction Masks of WWI
Wars don’t just leave psychological scars, but also physical ones, too. These injuries are a permanent reminder of the horrors they had experienced, something most veterans wish to forget. When soldiers returned from the frontlines of World War I, many suffered from catastrophic facial injuries. Plastic surgery was not available. Instead, artists and sculptors created reconstruction masks. These masks were made of copper or tin and molded to fit over the mutilated parts of a soldier’s face. Functional, but highly unsettling, the masks reconstructed expressions frozen in time and metal. They were the early forms of prosthetics. Lifelike but uncanny. Treading the line between recovery and trauma, the facial reconstruction masks of World War I symbolized both hope and horror.
#1: The Screaming Mummies of Guanajuato
A tax crisis in the late 1800s prompted the Mexican city of Guanajuato to impose a “burial tax” on families, ensuring the long-term burial of their loved ones. Bodies of those who failed to pay the tax were dug up and stored in a nearby building. Thanks to the region’s dry, mineral-rich soil, many of these bodies were naturally mummified. What horrified people the most were the expressions of the deceased. From children to women and even babies, the mummies appeared frozen, their mouths wide open, as though they were screaming. Experts believe that these victims may have been buried alive or died in agony. Hosted at the Museo de las Momias, the mummies now occupy a silent gallery of death, despair, and unanswered questions.
From demonic manuscripts to mummified screams, which of these discoveries creeped you out the most? Let us know in the comments.
